Screamin’ Wheels and Blades founder Carmen Scott is bringing her childhood love of roller skating to a new pop-up event this spring.
Tickets go on sale March 10 for “Pop Up and Roll,” an outdoor roller-skating experience launching in University City next month. Slated for April 10 and April 24, the event will feature open sessions, skills contests, food trucks and a live DJ at a pop-up skating rink outside of Armored Cow Brewery.
Scott spent her weekends at roller-skating rinks as a teen growing up in the ’70s in Gary, Indiana.
“We used to meet up with friends and go skating every weekend, even though we couldn’t skate that well,” she laughed. “You were willing to get out there and fall and laugh and enjoy hanging out.”
In 2017, she had the idea to open a skating facility in Charlotte and reignite her passion for the pastime. Scott created a business plan but couldn’t obtain funding. When the pandemic hit last year, she went back to her idea and thought about how to tweak it to help bring people a little joy and get outside safely.
Roller skating has made a major comeback during the pandemic; last summer, Washington Post reported on the spike in online searches for roller skates.
While researching pop-up roller-skating events, she came across a 2019 news story on POP SK8, a pop-up outdoor roller-skating rink in Los Angeles. Scott was inspired seeing the families and solo skaters enjoying a night out in the community. A project manager by day and a Navy veteran, Scott plowed full steam ahead with bringing the idea to her University City neighborhood.
“Pop Up and Roll” tickets are $20 if you bring your own four-wheel quad skates or roller blades, $25 if you need a skate rental. Skateboards are not permitted. Hours will be from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 10 and 24.
Sessions include sign-up times for families with children and adults-only, with a limited number of skaters allowed on the rink at once. Skaters must sign a waiver and masks are required. Temperatures will be checked at entry.
Scott says she’s already had people reach out about dates in May. She plans to offer workshops teaching people how to skate and create smooth routines — think of moves seen in films like 2005’s “Roll Bounce” or the 2019 documentary “United Skates.”
Visit screaminwheelsblades.com for ticket sales and other updates.
